Geoege bendee



(No Model.)

G. BENDER.

ZITHERN.

No. 286,524. Patented Oct. 9, 1883.

INVENTOR ff? 2' 1 r 5 V ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE BENDER, OF HOBOKEN, NEWV JERSEY.

ZITHERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,524, dated October9, 1883.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE BENDER, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudsonand State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Zitherns, of which the following is a specification.

The common zithern heretofore in general use has, owing to the smallvolume of sound and its sharp tone, only a limited application, and is bit little adapted for concert purposes. Attempts have been made toimpart to it a greater volume of tone, but without success.

The object of this invention is to provide a zithern having a fullresonant tone, which can be used with advantage for concert purposes;and the invention consists of azithern of peculiar construction, ashereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 rep resents a plan view, and Fig.2 a vertical transverse section, of this improved zithern on line at xof Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The body of this improved zithern is supported on legs A, and consistsof two separable parts, B and G. The upper part, B, is composed of astring-board, Z), having an opening, a, a bottom board, I), having anopening, a, corresponding with the opening (a of the string-board I),and a circi'unferential wall, d, separating said string and bottomboards. The lower part, 0, is composed of atop board, 0, and a bottomboard, 0, separated by a circumferential wall, 0, and is similar to theupper part, B, except that the top and bottom boards are not providedwith openings, but

made tight. These parts B and C are clamped together by means ofscrew-bolts f, being separated by interposed, disks whereby an intermediate space, D, is formed between the parts, which space is open atthe sides, so that the sounds can escape more freely.

This construction of the instrument increases the volume of toneproduced by the strings on the stringboard, while the escape of thesound is facilitated by means of the sound-openings and the openintermediate space between the upper and lower parts. The tone of thezithern is full, sonorous, and resonant, and somewhat resemblcs that ofthe harp, so that it is adapted in a higher degree than heretofore formusical expression.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- A zithern the body of which consists of an upperpart, B, a lower part, 0, and means for clamping and separating saidparts, whereby an open space, D, is formed between them, the said upperpart being composed of a stringboard, I), having an opening, a, a bottomboard, 7), having an opening, a, and a circumt'ereir tial wall betweensaid boards, and said lower part being composed of tight top and bottomboards and a circumferential wall, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in pres ence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE BENDER. lVitn esses:

SIDNEY hLiNN. Orro RISCH.

